Next... - August 16, 2010
Michael is in New York at work on the new Bipolar Explorer record.
Michael Louis Wells: News
BPX live - August 7, 2010
Bipolar Explorer play Brooklyn's Bar Reis tonight, Saturday August 7th, 9pm.
Production Stills - July 29, 2010
Check out some production stills on the "Photos" page from the first weekend of shooting "Two From The Line" -the short film I wrote adapting my play of the same name for the screen.
Filming begins... - July 14, 2010
Michael is in San Francisco where principal photography begins this weekend for the film adaptation of his short play "Two From The Line".
"Two From the Line" film - July 7, 2010
Michael is in San Francisco this week and next in rehearsals and pre-production for the film adaptation of his play "Two From The Line".
Short film - June 22, 2010
Michael is in San Francisco this week casting the film adaptation of his play "Two From The Line"...
BPX news - June 10, 2010
Bipolar Explorer heads into the studio this weekend to lay down tracks for the new record. Also - check out the band's new website: http://www.bipolarexplorer.info/
Mom - June 3, 2010
Michael's Mom died suddenly, unexpectedly and he had to return from London to plan and hold her memorial service last week. What follows is the eulogy he wrote and delivered in Michigan last Friday:
She was the Homecoming Queen. She was the only child of a doting father who
became an even more doting grandfather to my brothers and myself. Everything
I am, everything I hope to be, I owe to my mother. I owe to her. Like my father,
she is gone too soon. Like my father she leaves a treasured store of memories
and a void that can never, will never be filled. My father died a bit too young and
I was a bit too far away to ever really know him as a man. My mother took it
upon herself to defy, to transcend geography. She came to see me in San
Francisco and DC. We ate pizza and burritos in hotel rooms. Not at the same
time. She came to New York every fall and often in the summer, too. What we’d
do was - I would rent a car and drive home at Thanksgiving and she would ride
back with me on the Saturday after and stay for a week in New York. It seemed a
little daunting the first time, a ten-hour car trip, but it was revelatory and
became ritual. We learned about each other in new ways. And our
understanding, our bond deepened. And she loved New York. She loved the Upper
West Side. She’d loved sourdough bagels from H&H, and the Goldilocks omelette
at Sarabeth’s and sitting in Central Park between the Delacorte Theatre and the
Great Lawn. She loved The Met. She loved The American Wing and the
Christmas Tree in the Gothic Hall. She loved New York in a way that made me
remember why I did, in a way that made me renew my vows. She was
evangelically optimistic. She was generous with her labor and her love and she
held up her family and her friends. She treasured them and let them know. I
loved her sense of humor. She was so funny. I loved her wanderlust, her sense of
adventure, her willingness to embrace things that were new. She was the first
person in our family to get a computer, a cellphone, to text message. Before most
of my friends had begun, she shocked me one day by texting me. OMG! She loved
texting. We would talk every Sunday - we had a phone date - but she would text
me back & forth all the time. I miss that already. I find myself reaching for the
keypad to tell her something and then remember. And then, to be honest, I text
her anyway. Because somehow I believe that she intercepts the message now
floating through the either faster than it could travel to her old phone. I was so
encouraged, so proud that she resumed travels with The Nomads. I loved how
she would call with news of what she thought a particularly exotic or even
dangerous destination, detailing her concerns and then call me back - or more
likely text - in half an hour with a triumphant “I’m going!”. Her love of life was
infectious. And I believe she enriched almost every life she touched, with her joy,
her faith, her good humor, her steadfastness, her soulfulness, her heart, even
her tears. Everything I am, everything I hope to be be I owe to her. I owe to my
mother. I owe to you, Mom.
She was the Homecoming Queen. She was the only child of a doting father who
became an even more doting grandfather to my brothers and myself. Everything
I am, everything I hope to be, I owe to my mother. I owe to her. Like my father,
she is gone too soon. Like my father she leaves a treasured store of memories
and a void that can never, will never be filled. My father died a bit too young and
I was a bit too far away to ever really know him as a man. My mother took it
upon herself to defy, to transcend geography. She came to see me in San
Francisco and DC. We ate pizza and burritos in hotel rooms. Not at the same
time. She came to New York every fall and often in the summer, too. What we’d
do was - I would rent a car and drive home at Thanksgiving and she would ride
back with me on the Saturday after and stay for a week in New York. It seemed a
little daunting the first time, a ten-hour car trip, but it was revelatory and
became ritual. We learned about each other in new ways. And our
understanding, our bond deepened. And she loved New York. She loved the Upper
West Side. She’d loved sourdough bagels from H&H, and the Goldilocks omelette
at Sarabeth’s and sitting in Central Park between the Delacorte Theatre and the
Great Lawn. She loved The Met. She loved The American Wing and the
Christmas Tree in the Gothic Hall. She loved New York in a way that made me
remember why I did, in a way that made me renew my vows. She was
evangelically optimistic. She was generous with her labor and her love and she
held up her family and her friends. She treasured them and let them know. I
loved her sense of humor. She was so funny. I loved her wanderlust, her sense of
adventure, her willingness to embrace things that were new. She was the first
person in our family to get a computer, a cellphone, to text message. Before most
of my friends had begun, she shocked me one day by texting me. OMG! She loved
texting. We would talk every Sunday - we had a phone date - but she would text
me back & forth all the time. I miss that already. I find myself reaching for the
keypad to tell her something and then remember. And then, to be honest, I text
her anyway. Because somehow I believe that she intercepts the message now
floating through the either faster than it could travel to her old phone. I was so
encouraged, so proud that she resumed travels with The Nomads. I loved how
she would call with news of what she thought a particularly exotic or even
dangerous destination, detailing her concerns and then call me back - or more
likely text - in half an hour with a triumphant “I’m going!”. Her love of life was
infectious. And I believe she enriched almost every life she touched, with her joy,
her faith, her good humor, her steadfastness, her soulfulness, her heart, even
her tears. Everything I am, everything I hope to be be I owe to her. I owe to my
mother. I owe to you, Mom.
London local - May 20, 2010
Michael is in London this week & next for rehearsals and a staged reading of his play SEVEN PAGES UNSIGNED - directed by Wilson Milam - at The Finborough Theatre in Earl's Court.
Thanks! - May 14, 2010
Thanks to Live Footage, Ollie Childs and everyone who turned up (and stayed late!) for Bipolar Explorer's gig at Local 269 on The Lower East Side, NYC last night. Further - apparently Chelsea Clinton was there. Whereabouts of The Big Dog unknown...
BPX at Local 269 - May 13, 2010
Bipolar Explorer will play Local 269 - 269 E. Houston Street - in downtown NYC on Thursday night May 13th. Also on the bill are Live Footage and Ollie Childs. BPX should go on around 10PM.
BPX on Facebook - May 5, 2010
Bipolar Explorer now has a Facebook page. Find it here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bipolar-Explorer/124126257600266?ref=ts
Sloan workshop - April 12, 2010
Michael is in rehearsals in New York this week for a workshop of a Lucas Hnath play directed by Linsay Firman.
7PGS in London - April 9, 2010
Michael's play SEVEN PAGES UNSIGNED will receive a staged reading at London's Finborough Theatre on May 27th - Tony-nominee Wilson Milam directing - as part of a month-long series celebrating The Finborough's 30th anniversary. Other writers include Mark Ravenhill, Naomi Wallace...
Pop Matters article - March 17, 2010
Pop Matters magazine's Rachel Balik writes about Bipolar Explorer's show at The Copper Square Hotel in New York: "Eclectic, steadfast and powerful - new and truthful music". Nice! We'll take that. Some good pix, too...
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/122436-bipolar-explorer-2-March-2010-new-york-city-cooper-square-hotel/
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/122436-bipolar-explorer-2-March-2010-new-york-city-cooper-square-hotel/
BPX in Annie O. Concert Series in NYC - March 2, 2010
Michael, Sean & Elizabeth will play a short (appox. 20 minute) set as part of the Annie O. Concert Series at The Cooper Square Hotel in New York on Tuesday March 2. Doors 7PM, show 8PM. It's free admission (yeah!) and cash bar. Here's the address: The Cooper Square Hotel Penthouse, 25 Cooper Square (3rd Ave btw 5th & 6th St.).
Lenin's Embalmers - February 28, 2010
Michael is in rehearsals in New York for "Lenin's Embalmers" featuring Zack Grenier. Previews beginning March 3 with a March 8 opening.
Micro workshop - February 13, 2010
Michael is in New York appearing in a workshop production of Michael Lew's "Microcrisis" this week and next. The play is directed by Ralph Pena and produced by Youngblood. Performances are Feb 17, 20, 21, 25 & 26 at 7PM on the stage of Youngblood's newly refurbished 6th Floor theatre at 549 W.52nd Street in Manhattan.
"Microcrisis" - January 25, 2010
Michael begins rehearsals in New York on Wednesday for Michael Lew's "Microcrisis" - a new (brilliant!) full-length about the global financial meltdown.
Youngblood Xmas - December 5, 2009
Michael will be appearing in Anna Moench's "Windy City" directed by RJ Tolan for Youngblood this weekend.
Opening - November 13, 2009
Michael's new one-act, HAPPINESS, directed by Youngblood co-Artistic Director RJ Tolan, featuring Youngblood co-Artistic Director Graeme Gillis and the totally stellar Scott Sowers opens in New York tonight.